Pinterest and Cooking

I have a Christmas Party tonight.
A work Christmas Party.
Which means more drinking than eating.
But I'm stubborn and will use any excuse to cook
So today (courtesy of pinterest) I'm cooking:

Chili

Balsamic Green Beans and Mushrooms

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip

YUM.

I've already posted the recipe for the CHILI

and I have a pre-prepped blend for the Spinach and Artichoke Dip

                       (Get the goods in Galena, Illinios. They don't have a website currently)

BALSAMIC GREEN BEANS AND MUSHROOMS

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

Happy Cooking!

Winter Goodies

Shame on me.

I forgot how much I adore cooking and baking.
Seriously. I adore it.

Whenever finals would stress me out, you could, without fail, find me in the kitchen.
Then came June 2011, where I believed I had no working stove.
For. Six. Months.

Since having my stove "fixed", I have been eager to get back in the kitchen.
After work last night, I rushed to the grocery store and gathered ingredients for:

Chili
Stuffed Mushrooms
Gluten-Free Cornbread
Gluten-Free Banana Bread  (Mom's allergic to gluten [and is coming into town on THURS!])
Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies
Chewy Molasses Cookies

Then I hurried home and started cooking like a mad woman (with the genius, Florence, playing in the background!)


Chili first!


Recipe HERE!

I am incapable of following any recipe exactly. It's the inner foodie in me :)
I cut the recipe in half to start with.
Then I used half regular Italian Sausage, half Hot Italian Sausage
Also used half spicy chili beans, half black beans
and 1/4 of the called for onion.

I have to say,
I'm pretty impressed with the outcome.
I let it simmer for over three hours and it turned out like a dream.
Even the boy thought it was fantastic.
I'll definitely be keeping this recipe around, with the added changes, of course!

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies

The recipe is HERE!

These tasted AMAZING in the pre-cooked stage.
I used 1 tsp Vanilla and 1/2 tsp Almond
And a handful of cherry soaked dried cranberries to spice it up.

Unfortunately, I'm still learning the temperature change of my stove and I burned the first batch.
The second batch survived, but the oven was cooking the top before the middle even started to cook.
Baking might be a problem in this oven. I'm sure I'll work out the kinks in no time though!

If you're a fan of Chili, please please please try this recipe!

I promise you'll love it.

And please feel free to share any Chili recipes of your own!

I would love to give them a shot and let you know what I think!

Ready for some Laughter?

Since I moved into my new apartment in June,
I haven't had a working stove.
I mean, I HAVE a stove, it just didn't work.

I put in one maintenance request
no one came.
And I'm ashamed to say that due to the busyness of my life,
and the fact that I live alone,
I didn't worry about it.

Soooo
I've been without a stove for 6 months now.
And damn it, I want to bake Christmas goodies.
This morning, while nannying,
I decided enough was enough
and put in another maintenance request.

I arrive home to see a little yellow note from my maintenance man
"Breaker for stove was flipped off"

Awesome.
Humiliating, actually.

I pretty much live by the motto:
"I can do anything boys can do"
Ummm, except turn my stove on, I guess.
I have lived without a stove for SIX months because my breaker was in the wrong position.
Alright, pride, you just got checked.


I can only imagine what that maintenance man thinks of me.

At least I have shelves and shelves lined with excellent choices in books and DVDs.
I do have some redeeming qualities, even on my not-so-hot days :)

Total absence of humor renders life impossible.

Winter Treats

Here's a weird thing about me...

I LOVE to bake
but I don't like to eat baked goods.

The result?
Lots of goodies for my friends and coworkers.

Below are two of my favorite cookie recipes.
I'm thinking that as the winter season continues along, I will post more of my favorites.


Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is simple and delicious. I have struggled to find a Chocolate Chip recipe that I actually enjoy, and this one is good enough to get me to have a whole cookie, not just a bite or two!
To try this creation yourself: Click Here!


White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies (Logan style)

These cookies are summed up in one word: Delectable.
Check out the recipe: Here!
When I made these beauties, I actually sent some out in a care package to a friend and discovered that they get crunchy fairly quickly.
The solution?
Substitute a half cup of Flour for a half cup of Vanilla pudding mix (cooking only type, not instant).
The result is that your cookies will stay softer longer and still have their delicious flavor!

I also couldn't resist the urge to mix in a little honey with the batter and then drizzle a little on top once the cookies came out of the oven. Makes them a bit sweeter, so choose your preference!


Ready, Set, BAKE!